Keri Bevan is a UK based fine arts photographer. She grew up in Washington State in the USA and spent ten years in New York City post university. She had the good fortune to move to London about fifteen years ago, and she liked it so much she never left. We were captivated by the beauty of her shots, so we decided to give it a try and contact Keri to learn more about her work. It was a pleasure for us to take an interview with Keri Bevan who shared some interesting facts of her biography and working process. We wish you a pleasant reading of Keri Bevan’s success story and viewing of her amazing photographs.

AP: Hey Keri, thank you so much for finding the time to give us an interview and share your story with us. We are very pleased to feature your work on Astrum People and hope that you will enjoy answering the questions we have prepared for you today. So let’s begin. What got you started?

Keri: I was recently looking through some old family photos and came across a photo of myself at age six with a Kodak Instamatic, so I guess my love of making pictures started early!

London Bike

Education and First Steps

AP: Wow, Kodak Instamatic! The classic lives forever. Do you have any formal education in photography or were you self-taught?

Keri: I was accepted into a prestigious art school, but couldn’t afford it, so I ended up at a liberal arts university where I focused on a variety of topics, and photography was one of them. It’s there that I learned how to work in a darkroom. Though I don’t shoot much film these days, I’ll never forget the magic of seeing a print appear in a darkroom. I was intrigued by all the ways a black and white photograph can be manipulated using an enlarger and chemicals. Those early experiments led me to the kind of digital editing that I do today. So, I do have formal technical training in photography and lighting, but most of my skillset was gained through a sheer drive and determination to experiment with photographic techniques.

Venice by Night

AP: What a beautiful start! What genre are your photos?

Keri: My agency bills me as a conceptual fine arts photographer, but I like to resist boxing myself in with a label. Much of my work is conceptual. I have a passion for editing travel images to evoke the emotion one might have felt had they been there themselves. My work has been described as both dreamy and nostalgic, which I like! I’m drawn to vintage colour palettes and the effects of a vintage camera like the Polaroid.

Equipment and Techniques

AP: We would like to admit that your photographs are breathtaking! We fell in love with them. What kind of equipment and techniques do you use to take such photographs? What type of camera, lenses, software do you use? Please describe us a bit of your creative process.

El Sueno, a white village in Spain.

Keri: I have a Canon 7D and a variety of lenses. I think my 50 mm sees the most use, though I recently invested in a tilt shift that makes the most beautiful images. I edit every image in Lightroom and retouch and manipulate in Photoshop CC. I use an output sharpener before printing on archival paper.

AP: What is the latest project you worked on. What was your inspiration?

Keri: I recently completed a series of conceptual self-portraits that represents a new direction for me. The series is called “The Memory Keeper” and it’s reflective of some major life transitions that have led me to where I am now. I’d like to work more with other people who would like to express their story or journey through imagery. I think it’s important, cathartic and healing, and I’m touched when people see those images and find something in them that they can relate to. That’s what it’s about for me.

The Jurassic Coast

AP: This is so true. Every image is a story and we find ourselves there too. What is your formula for success?

Keri: I don’t actively pursue recognition. I just love to keep experimenting with lighting, editing techniques, and different genres of photography. I’m grateful that people see something worthwhile in my images. I have shot some major campaigns, but the biggest honor for me is seeing one of my images hanging in someone’s home. Henri Cartier-Bresson summed it up best… “your first 10,000 photographs will be your worst.” The secret is to have the determination to keep going.

AP: Is there someone you would like to see interviewed on Astrum People?

Keri: I am mesmerized by the work of a talented Russian photographer named Anka Zhuravleva. There’s something so intimate and beautiful about her work.

Into The Storm

Golden Tips for Photographers

AP: Thank you, Keri. We will do our best to contact her. Could you please share with us three lessons you believe are crucial for every photographer?

Keri:

Shoot something new every single day.

Understanding lighting will change your pictures from special to extraordinary.

You don’t need a ton of expensive gear to be a great photographer. Start small and work towards your dream lenses and camera.

Keri, it has been a great honor for us to take an interview with you. Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful story with us. We wish you endless inspiration, creative ideas, and brilliant success. To learn more about Keri Bevan photography feel free to visit her personal website featuring her captivating fine arts images.